Criminologist Dr. Jones Opoku-Ware of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has given the Ghana Police Service a score of 7 out of 10 for their performance in ensuring security during the Akwatia by-election on September 2, 2025.
Dr. Opoku-Ware stated that the police’s security arrangements were a significant improvement over previous by-elections, such as the one in Ablekuma North.
“If I were to mark the police for the job they did in Akwatia, I would give them a 7 out of 10. They did very well in terms of security. Compared to what happened in Ablekuma North, the police in Akwatia appeared more prepared and ready for the by-election. It was also evident that they learned lessons from the Ablekuma North rerun.”
He would have given the police a perfect score if not for a few isolated but troubling incidents.
The criminologist highlighted the “unfortunate rude behaviour” of an individual identified as Sofo Azorka and his associates at a polling station.
Dr. Opoku-Ware expressed disappointment in the behavior of “Azorka and his hoodlums,” stating, “Some of the videos some of us saw, including the rudeness of Azorka and his hoodlums, was unfortunate. He and his boys should have been arrested for creating confusion. He was trying to create instability in an area that was peaceful.
I was thinking, based on the assurance the police gave the public, they should have arrested him.”
He continued, “But apart from that incident, the political class conducted themselves well. There was also an incident where the Minority Leader was accused of creating confusion. But apart from these two incidents, generally, the police did very well.”
Dr. Opoku-Ware also noted that some politicians arrived at polling stations with “thugs” and that there was an accusation of the Minority Leader creating confusion. Despite these issues, he commended the political class for their generally good conduct.
The criminologist suggested that the police could use their Akwatia security plan as a “template” for future by-elections, which are often prone to violence.
He stressed that by-elections require different security arrangements than national elections due to their unique dynamics.
Dr. Opoku-Ware concluded by advising the police to continually review their processes and analyze their systems to “deploy a system that can meet the dynamics of constituencies case by case.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
